Opening and closing member control apparatus, according to which an opening and closing member such as a slide door and a back door provided at a vehicle, is operated by an opening and closing member-driving means such as a motor, have been known conventionally. As one of examples of such conventional opening and closing member control apparatus, as disclosed in JP2004-100309A (corresponding to US2004-0046101A1), an opening and closing member control apparatus is configured to operate an opening and closing member-driving mans in a predetermined rotational direction (a closing direction) under the condition that a hand and so on of a person is in a touch with an opening and closing member when the opening and closing member is operated in a closing direction. That is, according to this disclosed opening and closing control apparatus, the opening and closing member-driving means assists a manual operation of the opening and closing member implemented by a person. In other words, unless a hand and so on of a person is in touch with the opening and closing member when the opening and closing member is operated, the opening and closing member-driving means is not activated.
As another example of the opening and closing member control apparatus, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3591349 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,671B1), an opening and closing member control apparatus is provided with a member (i.e., a directional handle) which selectively implements an open command input for opening an opening and closing member and a close command input for closing the opening and closing member. This opening and closing member control apparatus is further provided with an open-command receiving means for receiving an open command input and a close-command receiving means for receiving a close command input. Therefore, it is possible, by use of a directional inside door handle that is mounted inside a vehicle, to selectively implement an open command input, and a close command input, of the opening and closing member, relative to the open-command receiving means and the close-command receiving means. Like wise, it is possible, by use of a directional outside door handle that is mounted outside a vehicle, to selectively implement an open command input, and a close command input, of the opening and closing member, relative to the open-command receiving means and the close-command receiving means.
However, when such opening and closing member control apparatus described above should be actually mounted on a vehicle, restraints placed on a vehicle design may on occasions cause unavailability of a directional handle, which selectively implements an open command input and a close command input, as open and close command inputting means such as an inside door handle and an outside door handle. In such circumstances, a vehicle may be provided with a combination of a directional handle and a non-directional handle that implements open and close command inputs by a unique operation thereof. In such case, the opening and closing member control apparatus may receive directional open and close commands and a non-directional open and close command, which may hinder an appropriate opening and closing operation of the opening and closing member. Moreover, if a command receiving means, which receives directional open and close commands, and another command receiving means, which receives a non-directional open and close command, are individually or separately incorporated in the apparatus, there is a possibility that a configuration of the apparatus may be complicated and a manufacturing cost thereof may be raised.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an opening and closing member control apparatus which includes a simple structure and controls appropriately an opening and closing operation of an opening and closing member, in circumstances where an open and close command inputting means (e.g., a door handle), which performs directional open and close command inputs, and an open and close command inputting means (e.g., a door handle), which performs only a non-directional open and close command input, are both provided.